Power driven seeder for tractors



March 24, 1953 w. M. RITTENHOUSE 1 POWER DRIVEN SEEDER FOR TRACTORSFiled Nov. 28, 1947 3 Sheetg-Sheet 1 29 I9 I29 9 9 :27 a: 47 3 WAYNEMRrrrENHousE IN VEN TOR.

HT TORNEY March 24, 1953 w. M. RITTENHOUSE 2,632,651

POWER DRIVEN SEEDER FOR TRACTORS Filed Nov. 28, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 VENTOR.

ATTORNEY WAYNE M. RU'JENHOUSE v w. M. RITTENHOUSE 2,632,651

POWER DRIVEN' SEEDER FOR TRACTORS March '24, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FiledNv. 28, 1947 1/ P :33. I I'- ggl as I I WAYNE MRITT'ENHQUSE.

- INVENTOR.

- 4 mfoRNrv i seeder, disclosing other parts. i I

Patented Mar. 24, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE POWER DRIVENSEEDERFOR TRACTORS Wayne M. Rittenhouse, Liberty Mills, Ind.

Application November 28, 1947, Serial No. 788,392

This invention relates to power driven seeders for tractors. Moreespecially, it relates to a seeding mechanism which is adaptedformounting upon the draw bar of a tractor and which is connected tobedriven from the power take-off adjustable means for mounting theseeder upon the tractor. w

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple but eifectivedrive from the power takeoff shaft to the seed distributor.

-Yet another object of the invention'is toprvide a simple belt drive forthe seed distributor. It is still another object of the invention to.provide adequate seed distributing means.

Still another object of the invention is to prov vide an economical fanconstruction.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a quickly settablefeed mechanism.

Still anotherobject of the invention is to pro vide a feed controllatching mechanism.

.These and other objects will become apparent from a study of thisspecification and the drawings which are attached hereto and madeaparthereof and in which: I v

Figure 1 is an elevation of the seeder mounted upon a tractor; showingthe'drive, frama-braces and other parts. I

Figure 2 is a top view. of the apparatus of Figure 1. v

. Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of the the fan, uard, agitatorand Figure 4 is a'plan view of the apparatus with the'hopper removed. I

Figure 5 is a plan view of the seed gate. Figure 6 is a plan view of thefan. Referring now to Figure 1, the numeral l represents a tractorhaving a draw-bar '3, a power take-off 5 and support brackets I. Theseeder-frame comprises a pair of vertica angles 9 having their innerfaces parallel and connected at {the top by a cross angle which iswelded thereto, and numbered l l. A support bar l3 iswelded to and spansthe lower ends of the angleslil'. I The bar projects beyond the anglesand is slotted at 21 to receive bolts l5 which hold theframe uponmounting plates ill which are in turn mounted upon the draw-bar 3 bymeans 7 of bolts [9,; A cross member 23 is welded at each 12 Claims.(01. 275-43) end to one of the angles 9 and supports near its center, aself-aligning bearing 25. a

A sub-frame 2'! comprises two horizontal angles Welded, one to eachmember 9' and connected at the rear by an angle, said angles being num-vbered 29, 3| and 33, respectively.

The forward ends of angles 29 and 3| have a plurality of spacedperforations therein for the reception of bolts 3! which hold thebearing angles 39 in adjusted position thereon. The

angles 39 are slotted as at 4| to permit adjust-.

ment thereof along the angles 29 and 3|:

The upstanding flanges of the angles 39 are perforated to receive theshaft 43 rotatably therein. A pair of pulleys 45 are rotatably mountedupon the shaft and are capable of movement axially of the shaft so thatthey are self-aligning as will be described.

Brace rods 4'! connect the forward ends of the angles 2% and 3] to thebrackets 1 of the tractor. The rods are in two parts which are heldtogether with U-clamps 49so that they may be extended 7 Or retracted asrequired.

, is mounted vertically in these bearingsand carries fixed thereto, apulley 59.

A shaft Bl has one end supported in bearing 25 and the other endconnected to the shaft 5 preferably by means of the hose 63 and clamps65. A pulley 51 isfixed to the shaft GI and a belt 68 runs from thispulley, over pulleys 45 and 59 to transmit power from shaft 5 to shaft5?. 'Ifhe tension of the belt may be readily adjusted by adjusting theangles-39 and pulley 61 as required. be used.

A fan 69 is attached to shaft 51. above bearing 53 as by a pin it so asto rotate therewith. The

fan comprises a square plate 13 having ahub I5 fixed thereto. Aplurality of fan blades H are riveted to the plate. The blades are inthe form of a quadrant 19 which intersects with a radially disposedtrianglefi l. A vertical flange 33 extends along the altitude of thetriangle.

An a itator 85. has ahub t'l which is mounted upon the upper end ofshaft 57 and comprises welded to the angle I l as seen particularly in-Figures 3 and 4. A bottom plate.9 3 is fixed to Various lengths of'beltmay thus 3 the frame 9| and has a circular opening 95 formed therein.

A port plate 91, having two fan-shaped baffles 99, ismounted in spacedrelation below the plate 93 by means of tabs NH and screws which enterthe plate 93. The hub of the plate has an opening through which shaftpasses.

A gate I93 is pivoted on the shaft 51, between the bottom plate 93 andthe port plate 9?. The gate has port openings I95 which are sectorshaped. A lever It]? extends laterally therefrom and is pivotallyconnected to a link I99 which extends forwardly and is pivotallyconnected to an arm III of a bell crank lever H3 which is, in turn,pivoted at [I5 to angle II. The other arm III of the bell crank servesas the operating arm. A spring II9 connected between the link I09 andangle II holds the gate in its farthest clockwise position which isdetermined by pin I2I which enters one of a plurality of holes I23 inthe pin plate I2 3 which is supported upon arms I25 extending under andfixed to bottom plate 93.

1 A latch arm I2; is mounted adjacent the front edge and underneath thepin plate. It projects beyond one side thereof and is bent upwardly toform a grip I29. The upper surface of the arm carries a latching lug I3Iwhich is adapted to engage arm II? of bell crank H9 and hold it againstthe action of spring I I9. When the arm is held by the lug, the gate isin position to close the ports'IfiE.

Numeral E33 represents a bafiie which is in the form of a curved plate.with its ends fixed to the angles 9 in the region of the fan.

A seed hopper its is formed with a neck I3! which fits within the frameSI and is held therein by suitable bolts I39; A filler strip Idl extendsbetween the angles of the frame St to support the forward edge of theneck.

The seed feeding organization comprising the hopper, gate, fan and gatecontrol mechanism is referred to generally herein as the feeder.

Operation The apparatus is mounted upon the tractor by bolting themounting plates I! on the draw-bar and the support bar I3 on the plates.In the case of some tractors the plates Il may be omitted and" the barIt bolted directly upon the drawebar.

The shaft 8 I' is connected to the power take-ofi shaft 5 by telescopingthe hose 63 over the shafts and tightening the clamps 85. The frameshould be'shifted to secure the shafts possible. n

'The pulley 9'! and the bearing angles 39 are then adjusted, ifnecessary, to secure the proper belt tension. The elongated slots in theangles permit substantial adjustment which, if it is not sufficient canbe amplified by moving the bolts to a different set of holes in theangles 29, 3|.

Next the pin I2I is inserted in the proper hole I23for the seed and thequantity to be sown per acre. The holes at the right, Figured, representsmall openings in the ports I95 while those on the left represent largeopeningsof'the ports: The size of the seeds and the quantity to be sowngoverns the hole selected. If desired'the hoies may' be numbered so thatthey may be specified in a table.

When it is desired to sow the seed, the tractor is positioned for thefirst run and the grip I29 is depressed. This withdraws the lug Isl fromarm Ill, and spring I99 will rotate the arms I97, III

best alignment of the 4 and II! clockwise, Figure 4, and open the portsI to the degree permitted by the pin I2I which stops the arm III.

The agitator 95 rotates in the neck I37 of the hopper and keeps the seedflowing down from the hopper into the neck and out through the portswhence it falls upon the fan. It will be seen that one port I05 islocated at the rear of the hopper and the other at the front. The seedfalling from the rear port is distributed to the rear left and left,Figure 4, while that from the front port is distributed to the right andrear right. The bafiie I93 causes any seed which is carried, thrown orblown forwardly to be stopped and the same will fall downwardly.

The flanges 33 on the blades, of course, hold the seed on the blade sothat it can leave only radially and will thus be scattered by the blade.The blades are also tilted slightly upwardly and outwardly so as toretain the seed to some extent when the fan is operating so that it willspre'a evenly.

When the end of a row is reached, the operator need merely throw thelever i ii to the right, Figured, until the lug I3I engages it. Afterthe tractor is turned and another run is started; the handle IE9 isagain depressed and the ports I95 are reopened by the spring aspreviously explained.

While I have disclosed one form of my invention for purposes ofillustration, it is obvious that various changes may be made in thesize, proportions, form and arrangement of parts without departing fromthe spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not desire to be limitedto the exact form disclosed herein but desire protection falling fairlywithin the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim to be new and desire to cover by Letters Patent of theUnited States of America is:

1. In a seeder for a tractor having a drawbar and a power shaft, thecombination of a frame, a rigid, driven shaft rotatably mounted at oneend on said frame, seed feeding means, including rotatable means,mounted on said frame, means connecting said rotatable means to bedriven by said rigid shaft, flexible tubing means for connecting theother end. of said driven shaft to be supported and driven by the powershaft and means for mounting said frame on said drawbar to position theshafts substantially in a common plane, said latter means beingadjustable to align said shafts.

2. In a seeder for a tractor having a draw-bar and a power shaft, thecombination of a frame, a driven shaft slidably mounted atone end in a"self-aligning bearing on the frame, seed feeding means, includingrotatable means, mounted on the frame, means connecting said shaft todrive said rotatable means, flexible means connecting said power shaftand the other end of said driven shaft in supporting and drivingrelation, two bars, each pivotally mounted at one end on the draw-barand connected at the other end to the frame whereby said frame isshiftable parallel tothe draw-bar to align the shafts.

3. In a seeder for a tractor having a draw bar and a power shaft, thecombination of a frame, a rigid driven shaft slidably mounted at one end1n a self-aligning bearing on the frame, seed feeding means, includingrotatable means, mountedon the frame, a belt connecting said shaft todrive the rotatable means, means mountng said frame on the draw-bar anda resilient tube and clamps for drivingly connecting said shafts and tosupport the other end of said driven shaft.

4. In a power seeder, the combination of a frame, a bearing thereon, adriven shaft slidably and rotatably mounted in the bearing, a feeder,

including rotatable means, mounted on the frame, a sub-frame slidablydisposed on the frame for movement substantially parallel to the shaft,a shaft mounted transversely thereon, pulleys on the shafts androtatable means and a belt connecting the pulleys.

5. In a power seeder, the combination of a frame, a feeder, includingrotatable means, mounted on the frame, a power shaft mountedsubstantially horizontally in a self -aligning bearing on the frame, avertical shaft driving the rotatable means, said shafts being in acommon plane, an idler shaft, means on the frame mounted for adjustmentsubstantially parallel to the power shaft and having bearings adapted tosupport the idler shaft substantially perpendicular to the plane,pulleys fixed to the power and feeder shafts, additional pulleys freelymounted on the idler-shaft and a belt connecting said first namedpulleys and running over the last named ones.

6. The apparatus claimed in claim wherein the power shaft pulley isadjustable axially of the power shaft.

7. In a power seeder, the combination of a frame, an upwardly openreceptacle thereon, a hopper mounted in the receptacle, a relativelymovable means forming feed ports in the receptacle, said ports beingvariable in size as said means are moved, a fan disposed under the portsandhaving a central axis, said ports being disposed on opposite sides ofsaid axis, the common axes of said ports being disposed at an angle tothe direction of movement of the seeder and displaced therefrom throughan angle measured in a direction opposite to the direction of rotationof the fan, the movable port forming means, when moved to open the port,serving to enlarge the ports in a direction opposite to the rotation ofthe fan to increase the width of the area to which seed is distributed,transversely of the direction of motion of the seeder, a power shaft onthe frame and means connecting the shaft to drive the fan.

8. In a power seeder, the combination of a frame, an upwardly openreceptacle thereon, a hopper mounted in the receptacle, a port plate, agate having. ports therein, said gate and plate being relatively movableto vary the size of the ports,'a fan disposed under the ports and havinga central axis, said ports being disposed on opposite sides of saidaxis, means for driving the fan, said movable one of said gate and platebeing movable in a direction opposite to the rotation of said fan toincrease the area covered by the seed, said ports being disposed indiametrically opposed position with respect to said axis and on oppositesides of the line of motion of the seeder passing through said axis anddisplaced therefrom in a direction opposite the direction of motion ofsaid fan, and means normally urging said gate and plate to port openposition.

9. In a seeder, the combination of a frame, a hopper mounted on theframe, a gate having ports formed therein, a port plate, said gate andplate being mounted for relative movement to open, close and regulatethe size of the ports, a lever connected to effect such relativemovement, resilient means urging the lever to port open position,adjustable stop means for limiting the movement of said lever under theaction of said resilient means and means for latching said lever inposition to close the ports.

10. In a seeder, the combination of a frame, a hopper mounted on theframe, a gate having ports formed therein, a port plate, said gate andplate being mounted for relative movement to open, close and regulatethe size of the ports, a lever connected to effect such relativemovement, resilient means urging the lever to port open position,adjustable stop means for limiting the movement of said lever under theaction of said resilient means and a yieldable latch for holding thelever in port closed position.

11. In a seeder, the combination of a frame, a

hopper mounted thereon, seed feeding ports in the hopper, means foropening, closing and adjusting the effective size of the portscomprising a port plate movable between port open and port closedpositions, a lever, means connecting the lever to actuate the portplate, a spring connected to urge said lever toward port open position,a pin plate mounted on the frame and having a plurality of spacedopenings therein and a stop pin adapted to enter a selected opening tolimit the movement of the lever induced by the spring.

12. In a seeder, the combination of a frame, a hopper mounted thereon,seed feeding ports in the hopper, means for opening, closing andadjusting the effective size of the ports comprising a port platemovable between port open and port closed positions, a lever, meansconnecting the lever to actuate the port plate, a spring connected tourge the lever toward port open position, a pin plate mounted on theframe and having a plurality of spaced openings therein, a stop pinadapted to enter a selected opening to limit the movement of the leverinduced by the spring and a latch for holding the lever in port closingposition.

WAYNE M. RITTENHOUSE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Gjertson Aug. 15, 1950-

